1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a refrigerator, and more particularly, to an inputting device for a refrigerator capable of inputting a control command by a user so as to control an operation of a refrigerator by using an optical sensor.
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a refrigerator serves to keep food items with a fresh state for a long time. The refrigerator is largely divided into a freezing chamber for keeping frozen food items, a cooling chamber for keeping refrigerating food items, and a refrigerating cycle for cooling the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber. An operation of the refrigerator is controlled by a controller mounted in the refrigerator.
In order to properly maintain each temperature of the freezing chamber and the cooling chamber, a control panel having a plurality of buttons so as to select a temperature of the freezing chamber or the cooling chamber is installed at a door.
The control panel has a printed circuit board (PCB) for controlling each operation of components according to an external signal in a casing concavely formed at the door, control buttons connected to the PCB and disposed at a front surface of the door, and a display window for displaying a state of the refrigerator according to a selected control button.
A plurality of functions that can be selected by a user such as power freezing, power cooling, a temperature level for a cooling chamber, a temperature level for a freezing chamber, a door check, deodorization, etc. are displayed on the display window. Herein, each of the functions may be selected by the control button on the control panel.
As the control panel having a plurality of buttons, a touch screen for inputting commands by a user's touch, or an electrostatic induction switch may be used.
According to the conventional touch screen for a refrigerator, a user can input a menu selected on an LCD screen. However, the conventional touch screen has a disadvantage of a high cost.
According to the conventional electrostatic induction switch, a user can not select a menu on an LCD screen, and an input error may be caused due to moisture.